The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-22

age of the primate and the lord chamberlain
1t was the beginning Of trying day. AT IL
great assemblage OF princes, peers and states
men arrived to assist at her first council Ev-
erybody curious to see how one who had
been SO carefully kept out of court life would go
through the ordeal. Never" says Greville,
s.was anything like the first impression she pro-
duced or the chorus of praise and admiration
which is raised about her manner and behavior.
and certainly not without justice 1t was very
extraordinary. and something beyond what was
looked for There was a considerable assemblage
at the palace, every one being curious to see how
extremely young and inexperienced
would act trying an occasion. A deputa-
ton was sent to inform her, IN the name of the
Privy Council, Of the death of the King. and aft
er their return the proclamation was
the doors were then thrown open and
the Queen entered, accompanied by her two
uncles, who had advanced to meet her. Sne
bowed to the lords, took her seat, and then read
her speech in a clear, distinct and audible voice.
and without any appearance of fear or embar-
rassment She was quite plainly dressed, and in
mourning
When the privy councillors were sworn and the
two old dukes, her uncles, knslt before her.
swearing allegiance and kissing her hand, II saw
her." Greville goes on to say, "blush up to the
eyes, as il she felt the contrast between their
civil and natural relations, and this was the only
sign of emotion which she evinced Her manner
to them was very graceful and engaging; she
kissed them both, and rose from her chair and
moved toward the Duke of Sussex, who was
furthest from her and too infirm to reach her
ference in her manner" In signing her address
the Queen tacitly rejected the name of GAL
exandrina," and adopted as her sole appellatlon
the auspicious name of "Victoria" That this
was entirely her own doing is seen by the fact
that the members of the House of Commons had
already begun to take the oath of allegiance to
"Alexandrina Victoria"
The age of Queen Victoria has been the age,
to name but a few. Of such public servants aud
public instructors as Sir Robert Peel, Lord John
Russell Richard Golden, John Bright and Mr..
nd Dean
Stanley. Newman. and Manning; as Ruskln,
Carlyle, Tennyson, Hood, and Browning: as
Dickens, Lytton. Thackeray, Kingsley and Geo.
Eliot; John Stuart Mill; the historians.
Hallam, Grote. Macaulay, Froude, and Freeman;
as the painters, from Turner to Millais; the men
of science Faraday. Darwin, Tyndall, Huxley,
and others; the great inventors and construct
ors, Stephenson and Brunei, the engineers, and
the different authors OF mechanical, chemical,
manufacturing and electrical appliances, giving
a mastery the forces nd materials of
nature; the great geographical Explorers on sea
and land, with the great founders OF colonial
ton and promoters of commences the great law
reformers and all those, led by Lord Shafts
bury, who gave their lives to the service OF the
poor.
At the opening of Parliament this year Vic
toria completed the Queens speeches" of her
fifty years reign, and to glance at the royal dec
larations of the past is not uninteresting. This
years speech was the fifty fifth of the reign,
and the third for which Lord Salisbury will have
been responsible. Lord Palmerston stood as
sponsor for twelve, Earl Russell for seven, Sir
Robert Peel for SIX Lord Melbourne and the Earl
of Derby for four EACH the Earl of Aberdeen
for ono and Lord Beaconsfield for seven, while
eleven have, up to the present time, been deliv
cred under Mr.. Gladstone's auspices. The
speeches contain many references to the domes-
tic affairs of her Majesty In one speech refer
is made to the Prince OF Wales's visit to
this country, and to the heartfelt pleasure with
which her Majesty witnessed the kind and cor
dial reception" he met with. It is noticeable
that, though several ex-Prime Ministers have
died during her Majestys reign, no reference is
made to any of them save the Duke of Yelling
ton, primarily n soldier, who is described
''that ilustrious man whose great achievements
have exalted the name of England, and in whose
loyalty and patriotism the interests Of my throne
and OF my people ever found unfailing sup
port"
Ireland fills prominent place in the Queens
speeches. 1t is to be found in almost every one
of them In 1874. under the advice of Sir Rob-
ert Peel, she declares her firm determination to
maintain involate the legislative union between
Great Britain and Ireland, +" and in 1886. under
the advice of Lord Salisbury, the royal speech
contained the paragraph: II have seen with
deep sorrow the renewal since I last addressed
you of the attempt to excite the people of Ireland
to hostility against the legislative union between
that country and Great Britain I am resolute-
ly opposed to any disturbance Of that funda-
mental law, and in resisting it convinced
that shall be heartily supported by my Parlia-
ment and by my people"
1t is noteworthy that King Christian of Dem
mark, who is attending the jubilee. is the only
sovereign living who was in England on her
Majesty's accession to the throne, in 1887.